3 6 9 Role Playing System – Demoing a Game

July 6, 2015/

The creator of this game informed me that it’s anywhere from 3 – 6 people needed to play and that he will demo as long as there is enough interest in it, no specific start or stop times. This will be getting Demoed at Summer Gax this year. And now a bit about the game from the creator.

3 6 9 Role Playing System

3 6 9 employs fast paced dungeon crawling adventure with challenging social role playing systems and a comprehensive item creation component that blend together to create a self contained narrative system.

The 3 6 9 role playing system was born out of a desire to see a real change in the way game mastering (dungeon mastering) could be approached for table top role playing games. It was my goal to create a game with an integrated game master role that could alleviate some of the narrative pressure while also introducing a streamlined set of mechanics for creating narrative conflict for the player group. The Narrator role is mechanically governed similar to player characters but with large scale world building as the focal point for the Narrators in game agency. The Narrator role engages with the Character players through a more rigid rule set that relaxes the narrative responsibility while also making it easier for the Narrator to keep track of the pertinent mechanical information.

369 also integrates an effective social combat system that challenges players to create characters who may not rely on combat prowess to contribute to the group. The integrated social system requires characters to have a moderate level of social functionality and challenges players to view role play as an essential part of the game. Much to my personal surprise this aspect is usually the most popular component of the mechanical system for new players and is often the driving force behind the wider narrative of any given campaign setting.

The item creation mechanics allow players and game masters to create simple or complex items and institutions that have tangible in game mechanical effects. Players will rely on item crafting to repair and create goods for their use and can even set about creating powerful institutions with their craft skills. The creation of institutions is a powerful narrative device that can be used by both the player Characters and Narrators to provide motivation for campaigns.

As may be obvious at this point, the world creation aspect of the game is a communal process. Creating the world map is mechanically assisted and is exclusive to no single player on the board. The Narrator role is mechanically integrated to reign in the unbridled power of traditional game master roles and enforce a sense that the Narrator is one of the players. By adhering to a stricter rule set the Narrator has the option of genuinely working with the players to create a mutually pleasing world or to unabashedly embrace competition without fretting over an imbalance in the power structure. The players Characters are still the primary agency in the game and often times create their own motivation for narrative. With the integrated Narrator mechanics the Narrator can concentrate on a more personally tailored game for the characters whether as an ally, antagonist or both.